Viking / Oil on Board

Description

Viking / Oil on board

This work is one of several studies capturing the form by the use of a single light source, it portrays a young man with a beard in a heavily lit interior setting. The largely sepia coloured work has been rendered onto a gessoed surface and textured brushwork of his alma prima method makes this study portrait one of Trevor’s classics. “I consider achieving a faithful likeness as a secondary asset to the lighting in a portrait painting, light controls how we see things.” The areas of light and dark in this study show the artists skill in identifying the form of the subject, with a single light source illuminating the features, whilst the remainder of the face is in heavy shadow. The whole group of paintings were inspired by the television series of the same name, an historical story and costume drama of life during the viking period. ” I got inspired by the lighting used in this programme and film making techniques whilst on location in, what could only be called extreme weather conditions. I appreciate the trouble they went to in setting up scenes for the filming. The actors and crew would have to be very committed to the project.”